Cousins Matthew Joseph, 23, and Kevin Butler, 21, both of Gentilly, were arrested within three days of the gunfire last Tuesday (July 8) that wounded the three juveniles in the 1300 block of South Salcedo Street. Court documents on their arrests revealed new details about the incident, including investigators' assertion that "more than a dozen rounds were fired into a large crowd with no consideration for the safety of any bystanders."

It remains unclear whether the teens, aged 16 and 15, were the intended targets of the shooting. The younger boy was treated and released after sustaining a gunshot near his hip, but the 16-year-old was critically wounded by a shot to his abdomen. He was upgraded to stable condition last Thursday.

Nat'Tasha "Minnie" Thompson, the 3-year-old girl shot in the back while playing in her driveway, was an innocent bystander whose wounding elicited outrage from both residents and police. She also was upgraded to stable condition last week after initially being wounded critically. Police said they were working to provide an update on the victims' conditions Monday afternoon.

Joseph was arrested Thursday night, after police responding to an anonymous tip found him in Central City, driving a white Nissan SUV matching the description of the vehicle in which the gunmen had escaped. The SUV was registered to Joseph's girlfriend, who told detectives that Joseph had spent Tuesday night at her Eastern New Orleans apartment.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for that apartment in the 7000 block of Bundy Road, and said they uncovered evidence there linking Joseph to the shooting. NOPD Detective John Waterman reported finding "several items of clothing matching the descriptions of those worn by the shooter," and found a 9mm handgun hidden under a mattress.

The gun, Waterman said, was equipped with a 30-round extended capacity magazine and was loaded with 26 live 9mm rounds. The report said witnesses to the shooting described a gunman matching Joseph's description, and a weapon with an extended magazine. Joseph's girlfriend denied knowing that any weapons were in her apartment, the report said.

Police said Joseph's criminal record includes "multiple drug and weapons charges," and that he already was wanted on an outstanding warrant for theft in Jefferson Parish. He was booked Friday at 3:42 a.m. with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, and his bond was set at $750,000 bond.

The application for Butler's arrest warrant indicates that witnesses gave descriptions of him and Joseph, as well as their nicknames -- "Pee-Wee" and "Matt," respectively. The warrant said the two men were seen exiting the passenger side of the white Nissan SUV shortly before the shooting and walking down the 4300 block of Erato Street with an item hidden under a towel.

About a minute after they went out of view on South Salcedo Street, the two suspects were reported by witnesses to have reappeared, sprinting toward the Nissan Murano and jumping into the passenger-side doors before the SUV fled the scene after the shooting.

An Instagram photo a witness provided to detectives showing both men helped lead to their arrests. After being taken into custody, Joseph identified himself and his cousin "Pee-Wee" Butler, as the men in the photograph. Butler turned himself in to police shortly after 2 a.m. Friday, and four hours later he also was booked with three counts of attempted first-degree murder. Butler's bond was set at $450,000, in a preliminary hearing on his charges was scheduled for July 22.